Caster raising and lowering device.



J. BODNAR. CASTER RAISING AND LOWERING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED IULYIZ. I916.

1,21 9,071 Patented Mar. 13, 1917. I

2 SHEETSSHEEI I.

J. BODNAR. CASTER RAISING AND LOWERING DEVICE.

. APPLICATION FILED JULYIZ, 1916- 1,219,071.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

dnar

attozna 1 JOHN BODNAB, OF ATL ASBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CASTEB RAISING AND LOWERING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

Application filed July 12, 1916. Serial No. 108,880.

To all whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BODNAR, a subject of the King of Hungary, residing at Atlasburg, in the county of Washington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Caster Raising and Lowering Devices, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in caster raising and lowering devices.

I The primary object of the invention is to provide a mining machine such as the shortwall machine with a ready means whereby the same may be moved and shifted in the mine accommodating the machine to the working conditions thereof.

It is also contemplated to provide normally retracted ground engaging wheel members arranged upon a mining machine allowing the machine to be flatly seated during the operation thereof, the said wheelmembers being readily projected into supporting position beneath the machine'when it is desired to bodily shift the latter.

Another object of thedevice is the provision of an elevating wheel support for a mining machine operable outwardly of one end thereof, the machine being provided with adjacent handle devices whereby the machine is manually shiftable during the operation thereof.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and 1n which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the sev eral views Figure 1 is a top plan view of a shortwall mining machine provided with the present device. 7

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken upon line III.III of Fig. 1.

Fig. a is a rear end elevation of the device partially broken away.

Fig. 5 is'a side elevation of a rear corner portion of the same, with portions shown in vertical longitudinal section, upon the line VV of Fig. 1, and,

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, parts being shown in section upon the line VI-Vl of Fig. 1.

The device is designed for providing retractable mounting wheels upon any form of mining machine and is herein illustrated in connection with a so-called shortwall machine 10 for use with which it is specially adapted. This machine comprises a frame 11, a cutter head 12 and a cutter chain 13, j

a mechanism casing 14 and platform or base 15 being arranged at the rear end of the machine, such casing being of greater height than the base 15.

A chamber 16 is arranged in the upper face of the base 15 tranversely of the machine, supporting legs 17 vertically extending slidably arranged within the said chamber pro ecting through openings 18 in the bottom thereof adjacent its opposite ends,

the said legs being provided with brackets 19 anti-frictionally journaled upon their lower ends and having ground engaging casters 20 carried thereby. Sockets 21 are arranged in the lower face of the base 15 for accommodating the casters 20 and brackets 19 allowing the same to revolve upon the anti-friction bearings 22 connecting the said brackets with the legs 18 while reduced recesses 23 are provided centrally at the tops of the sockets 21 adapted for the reception of the bearings 22 and adjacent portions of the brackets 19 when the legs 18 are retracted with the casters 20 above the lower bearing face 24 of the base and inoperatively arranged within the sockets 21 as best illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

Oppositely projecting levers 25 are pivoted at their inner ends to a yoke 26 spanning the chamber 16 centrally thereof while stub shafts 27 are loosely pivoted to the outer ends of the lever 25 by means of rivets 28 carried by the said shafts and arranged within slots 29 of the said levers. The stub shafts 27 and leg 17 are provided with oppositely threaded adjacent terminal portions upon which adjusting sleeves30 are arranged for connecting the said shafts and legs in axial alinement and further providing means whereby the length of the support furnished by said shafts and legs between the levers 25 and caster brackets may be slightly adjusted by turning the sleeves 30.

Resilient mounting springs 31 are provided for the casters 20 having a lower end seated enlargements 32 at the opposite ends of ,the

chamber 16, the said springs surroundmg ends fixedly secured to the drum 36 being adapted for winding thereon in the same direction.

An operating disk 34 is secured to the rearwardly projecting end of the shaft 34 rearwardly and centrally of the base 15, the

said disk being provided with peripheral sockets 50'adapted for the reception of an operating tool such as a bar (not shown) and whereby the said disk and shaft 34 as well as the drum 36 may be manually revolved. A stop pawl 41 is pi oted upon the rear face 42 of the base 15 being in normal engagement with a peripherally toothed portion 43 of the said disk and whereby theun- Winding of the cords 38 from the drum 36 is prevented until the p W1 41 is manually released from the teeth 23 l A retaining rod or latch 44 is provided for each of the legs 18 having a beveled inner end 52 adapted for engaging notches.-

51 arranged upon the adjacent side of the respective leg 17 for which such latch is arranged. The latches 44 being longitudinally slidably positioned within perforations 45 of the said block,t-hesame are normally projected in'contact with the adjacent leg 17 by means of encircling springs 46 while a releasing knob 47 is provided upon each of the latches 44 projecting outwardly of the block face 42 whereby the latches'may be released when desired. During the employment of the machine .10 in mining operations, the casters 20 are retracted as shown in Fig.4 and the casing 14 and base 15 are positioned flatly upon the floor 48 of the mine as best illustrated in Fig. 2. When it is desired to shift the machine, the disk 34 is revolved in the manner heretofore described in the proper direction for winding the cords 38 upon the drum 36 which operation draws downwardly upon the outer end portions of the levers 25,

ends fulcrumed at a thereby forcibly projecting the leg 17 engaging the casters 20 with the mine bottom 48 and elevating the base 15 and casing 14 above the bottom of the mine. The latches 44 automatically engage within an adjacent one of the notches 51 upon the leg 17 during such operation, thereby maintaining the machine elevated assisted by the stop pawl 41 preventing any return revolutions of the drum 36. Rearwardly projecting handles 49 are provided upon the face 42 of the base 15 whereby the machine may be readily shifted as may be found desirable, it being understood that the brackets 19 allow the casters 20 to have a free swinging movement during the shifting of the machine.

What I claim as new is A mounting device including a chambered and recessed machine-base, vertically slidable caster-equipped shafts, the recesses of said machine-base being adapted for the disappearance of the casters or rotary members .of said shafts, said shafts being resiliently mounted in position within said machinebase,s aid shafts each being in sections, the

upper shaft section having screw-threaded sleevedconnection with the lower shaft-section, the shaft resilient-mounting element of each shaft being engaged by the upper end of the sleeve connection, said shaft resilientmounting element hearing at its lower end in the bottom of the chamber of said machinebase, levers having their inner or meeting common point upon said machine-base, the opposite ends of said levers being pivotally connected to the upper ends of'said legs, a manually-actuated wind 7 ing shaft and flexible connections between said levers and I said winding shaft, said flexible connections beingwound in the same direction upon said shaft, the. lever-attaching ends of said flexible connections" being near the pivotal connection between said shafts and said levers, said ends of'said flexible connectionsbeing controlled with respect to their attachment to said levers by rotary members or idlers, said shaft section sleeved connections being capable of tensioning said resilient elements.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN BODNAR. 

